A River Runs Through It Literary Analysis Essay

You must help the ones you love in life, but to what extent is it your responsibility to help them? In A River Runs Through It, Norman tries to help his little brother Paul throughout the book. Keeping and getting Paul out of trouble, Norman is there to help his little brother out throughout his life. You can help support and guide the people within your family, but they must be willing to take the help you try to provide.

Norman tries his best to take account of his careless brother. Paul is described as a careless character, having plenty of self-confidence, and being very rebellious. He does whatever he wants to do, “he [does] not want any big brother advice or money or help”(8). Paul is very stubborn, not taking advice and only doing what he wants to do. A scene that shows this very well is when; “[Paul,] a child of his bowls would not eat God’s oats”(10). Paul has been stubborn from a young age. His stubbornness to not take help from anyone that tries causes him to get into bad situations even though his loved one had warned him. Thankful Norman, his older brother, tries to help him. Norman makes sure Paul stays in line throughout most of the book and tries to keep him out of trouble. There are many challenges Normans face throughout this book. The biggest is taking care of his brother.

Norman tries to help Paul by taking him fishing, getting him away from his problems and out of trouble. Paul has many problems. One of his biggest problems was his drinking problem. Starting drinking early in the morning till the end of the night led him to get into bad situations. In the book “[The Police keep] picking him up too much lately. He’s drinking too much”(28). Norman has to find ways to get him to quit drinking. One of the only things that he could do was take his brother fishing.“[Paul] did not drink when he fished”(18). When Paul fishes, it is a way for him to clear his mind. It’s a place where he could thrive and feel whole. No fighting, no gambling, no drinking. Just him, his rod and a river full of fish, waiting to be caught. While this is a way for Normans to get Paul out of bad situations, it is only temporary. Fishing is something Paul does religiously, away from all sins, keeping him away from temptations.

Norman tries consistently throughout the book to help his little brother, but Paul would never take his advice. Paul’s rebelliousness would lead to his death. Norman talks about how he couldn’t help his brother throughout the book. While this is true, he tried to help. He made a strong effort to save his brother throughout the whole novel. In the end, Paul's death was due to his inability to take help from others. When looking back on things after Paul's death, “Only then [Norman understood] what happened and why”(118). If you want to help someone, they must first be willing to take it. Something Norman did not realize till it was too late. In life, “It is those we live with and love and should know who elude us”(118). Norman contemplates what he could have done to save his brother. He and his brother were very different in many ways. Norman did everything in his power to help guide his brother towards the right path in life. But the life Paul went down was one he wanted to and Norman could not do anything to change his intentions. Call it ignorance, stubbornness, or outright stupidity, Paul did what he wanted, which would cause his life to end the way it did. Norman ponders on what he could have done, filled with grief. But he did everything he could. Even the closest people in your life that you live with and love still seem like strangers that we misunderstand.

If you are willing to help someone and try to help them make better decisions, but they are not willing to make a change for themselves. Why are you continuing to help them? Norman said that he couldn't save Paul, but he tried. He tried his whole life to help Paul, trying to help him make the right decisions and go down the right path. In the end, Paul was the only one that could decide how he'd take that help. You want to help and support the ones you love. But you cannot control their lives, they are the only ones that have to make that effort to change their fate.